


Here Today, Built To Last

by thebluecardigan



Series: Neither Wonder Nor Blame [1]
Category: Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 05:29:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15260448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluecardigan/pseuds/thebluecardigan
Summary: In which Elinor just wants to buy frozen pizza in peace





	Here Today, Built To Last

It’s been a long year. Nothing can match her dad’s illness, of course, but the compounding factors don't stop piling up. The falling out with her step-brother, the toll the move took on her mum, the time when her younger sister broke her ankle and later wound up in the ICU with pneumonia (separate instances) all had her wondering what else could happen. So something else did. Her ex-sort-of-almost-something-at-some-point just moved in with her best friend. And it was her idea.

It didn’t start out that way really. No sane person thinks “Oh, that guy slowly but surely broke my heart while not technically doing anything he shouldn’t have—I’d love it if he moved into my neighborhood.” It’s just that even when Ed didn’t know her family, he went out of his way to look out for them. He tried to rein in his sister and her step-brother at the horrible family dinners the couple hosted. He helped her mother find a good moving company. When Maggie invited him to her football games, he showed up and sat with Elinor in the stands. No matter what kind of feelings she’d had, Elinor couldn’t dislike Ed. Then she heard he’d quit his soul-sucking corporate job and was looking for something else, and a new flat at the same time. Chris happened to have just lost a roommate, and worked for a non-profit that needed a new finance person. It would be wrong not to say something, wouldn’t it?

...

It all came up over dinner with Chris. “So your guy Ed’s moving in next week.”

“Sorry, what?”

“Well he was looking for a flat and turns out it’s a good fit.”

“Oh. Yeah. I forgot. Well, that’s, erm, lovely.”

“I know his sister was a real piece of work but it doesn’t seem to run in the family.”

“Nice to hear.”

“You did want me to help this guy out, right?”

“Um, yeah! Absolutely! Just didn’t expect him to be so close.”

“Yeah, he will be! How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”

“Oh, six months or so.”

“Six months…wait, this isn’t the guy your family used to talk about, is it?”

“There is a slight possibility of that.”

“You mean you asked me to look out for the guy who strung you along for eight weeks?”

“He didn’t string me along! We were just friends. I wanted it to be something, but it’s not like he had to go along with it.”

“Marianne said—“

“Mari doesn’t know what she’s talking about there.”

“So you’re happy to have this guy back in your life. Things are splendid.”

“Yeah! Absolutely!”

“And you’re coming over to my flat for a welcome dinner next week?”

“I think I’ll have a lot of work to do just about then…”

…

Of course she finally ran into Ed at the Tesco. It was, apparently, impossible for a girl to buy a frozen pizza, an Oreo Dairy Milk, and a bottle of cheap wine without seeing the person she’d been trying to avoid for three weeks running. In the split second before he’d locked eyes with her she’d thought about dodging, but she figured she owed him more than that. Also, her only exit was a freezer and that seemed a little extreme.

“Elinor!” He smiled and she felt a little sick.

“Edward! What a—nice surprise!” She managed to make the corners of her mouth curve up. “What are you doing here?”

“Well I looked in my cabinets and figured I probably shouldn’t have marmite spread over chocolate biscuits and that’s what would happen if I didn’t pop out for something, so here I am.” He ruffled his hair and shrugged. “I’d been wondering when I’d see you.”

“You had?” She hadn’t meant to sound painfully incredulous, but there it was. 

“Yeah, you know I’ve just moved in with Brandon, and he said you tend to pop round.”

“Oh. Yes. Well, I’ve been a bit busy. End of term and all that.” And also avoiding that flat like the plague, but some things Ed didn’t need to know.

“Marking essays got you down?” He asked, glancing into her basket.

“Something like that. You know, speaking of which, I’d best get to it. Lovely to see you!” Elinor gave a wretched grin and nodded as she tried to slip past.

“Hey—wait!” She froze and looked at him expectantly, and Edward ruffled his hair again. “Fancy sharing that plonk? I could make garlic bread.”

Elinor bit her lip and then burst out, “Isn’t Lucy—“

“Oh. No. Lucy isn’t—“

“Isn’t?”

“She’s dating Rob now.”

“Your brother Rob?”

“It’s a long story. Didn’t Brandon tell you?” She shook her head, blinking to recalibrate (definitely not tearing up). “Would that change your answer?”

“Well. If you don’t mind watching horrible sitcoms while I weep over essays.” Somehow the forced cheer still wound up in tears. 

“That sounds wonderful actually.”

“Right. Well. Okay.”

…

Texts between Elinor Dashwood and Chris Brandon:

"Ed broke it off with Lucy?? When did this happen?"

"She dumped him a month ago. Right before he moved in."

"And you didn’t tell me?"

"You said you didn’t want to talk about him."

"I might actually strangle you.  
"Or tell Marianne that you want to make out and play with her hair?"

"Nobody was at their best that night.  
"And remember I live with Ed.  
"Who isn’t home yet, by the way.  
"Do you have something to do with that?"

"He’s in my sitting room."

"Elinor  
"You’re texting me now?"

"I don’t know what I’m doing. At all."

"Well I’d start with getting out there maybe"

"Not funny"

"Shut up and go fix things.  
"He’s been entirely too mopey."

"Pot, meet kettle."

…

Ed stood up when Elinor walked back into the sitting room. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah, just had something with the school.” If she traced it far enough back, she had met Chris through work.

“So I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” He swallowed and tugged at his collar. “Last fall…”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I understand.”

“See, I’m not sure if you do.”

“Really, Ed. It’s not your fault that I felt—well it’s not your fault.”

“Please, just hear me out? And then I’ll get out of your flat and stop hanging around Brandon’s so you can see him again.”

Elinor sank down on the couch. “Well, go on.” Should have gotten out the wine first.

“I should have told you about Lucy. And I should have been clearer about—well, everything.” She nodded. He stopped for a moment, shut his eyes, and inhaled sharply before continuing. “I’ve been trying to get my life in order and I think I’m finally getting there. I quit that job at the bank and I’ve started working for a nonprofit, because I don’t care whether or not I wind up rich and I’ve never tried to climb the corporate ladder and my mum really doesn’t have a say. No one in my family is really talking to me, but that was bound to happen eventually. Obviously I’m not living with Robert anymore. And Lucy and I parted on much better terms than I deserved.” He squared his shoulders and looked her in the eye. “But I really don’t think I can say I’ve fixed things until I’ve apologized to you. I’m sorry Elinor. You didn’t deserve that at all.”

“You were a good friend to me when my life was an absolute disaster. You don’t need to blame yourself for what I fel—what my family might have expected.”

“See, the thing is, I felt something. I mean, I do feel. If you don’t mind.”

“Maybe if we could start that bit from the beginning?”  
…

Texts between Elinor Dashwood and Chris Brandon:

"My flatmate’s home and smiling like a moron.  
"He won’t tell me a thing."

"Life can be hard, can’t it?  
"Maybe we’d tell you if you’d been a bit nicer."

"Gotta watch out for the quiet ones "

":)"

…

Two weeks later, Chris has everyone over for dinner. He and Marianne are debating how to marinate the chicken, and she’s waving her hands to demonstrate her point as he laughs. When Elinor gives him a knowing smirk he shakes his head, but looks happy as he’s been in a while. Ed comes up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and bending down so that his chin rests on her shoulder. She leans into him and smiles. “I got the last of my marks into the record books today. No more late nights curled up with a red pen until September.”

“What’ll I do with you this weekend? You’ll see how boring I really am.”

“Maggie’s been dying to come visit. I’ll send you two out with a football and watch the carnage.”

“That just sounds painful.”

“We’ll go for ice cream after.”

“Now that’s a bit better.”

They get heckled over dinner by Chris and Ed’s work friends and Marianne, who still doesn’t understand why in particular Chris invites her to every party he has. Ed and Elinor take the lighter comments with laughter and protest the others, but by the end she’s glad to have him walking her home (despite her insistence that he really shouldn’t bother because she’d be absolutely fine by herself, thanks).

“It’s nice to be quiet with you.” She says at the doorstep, and reaches up to ruffle his hair. 

He grins and leans down to kiss her. “El, it’s nice to be with you.”

Things are, Elinor decides, finally looking up.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys
> 
> Find me on tumblr with questions/prompts/ etc.! @elinordashwoodbutwithmoresnark


End file.
